


Caramel and Cinnamon

by minhoinator



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M, Read at Your Own Risk, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and they either appear in passing or just for a scene, mutual crushing going on, the main characters for this fic are Kyungsoo and Jongin and Minseok and Jongdae, the others are listed in order of appearance, very minor BaekYeol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 12:58:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10991430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minhoinator/pseuds/minhoinator
Summary: There's a new coffee shop in town, and Kyungsoo can't help but visit every day . . . he just really likes the coffee, okay?





	Caramel and Cinnamon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Some of you may be thinking that you've read this before and that's probably because you have lol. I posted this under the username _celestialfreckles_ , but this is my new, KPOP-only account, so I wanted to move C&C over to it. So, this is just a re-edited version of that story lol

The rich, warm fragrance of freshly roasted coffee welcomed Kyungsoo as he stepped inside Galaxy Brews, the newest coffee shop in town. Though they had just opened, it seemed they were already popular with the locals. The atmosphere inside was nice. Opposite the coffee bar was a lounge surrounded by shelves full of books and random knickknacks. Signs hung along the walls and said things like "Reach for the Stars". Between the signs were pictures of space, mostly cloudy nebulae or actual galaxies. Looking up, he saw the ceiling, which was painted to look like the night sky. Thin white lines connected lights to form constellations.

_They really ran with the galaxy concept…huh_ , Kyungsoo thought to himself as he stepped up at the end of the line. 

He glanced at his watch and saw that he still had about twenty-five minutes before he had to be at his first class. He stepped up on his tiptoes so he could see the menu over the other customers. He searched the list of flavors to see if they…yes! They had it. Not every coffee shop he went to had cinnamon flavoring, so it was always a treat when he found one that did.

He wore a small smile now as he inspected the crew. All three of them wore black aprons with spatters of white that Kyungsoo assumed were meant to be stars. The one manning the drive-thru had curly hair and a beaming smile every time he turned around to get a drink. The one making the drinks had pastel pink hair that Kyungsoo thought quite suited him. The third was the tallest, his silver-blond hair a nice contrast to his olive skin. He was really adorable, actually, with the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled at a customer’s stupid joke. Kyungsoo found himself staring -- that is until the cashier looked at him.

Kyungsoo cleared his throat and pulled out his phone, unlocking it to check his messages. “I can help who's next,” the cute guy said, Kyungsoo’s eyes darting up to meet his for a split second. The sheer brilliance of everything — he took a quick glance at the name tag on the galaxy apron — _Jongin_ was too much to handle, so he looked down as he stepped up to the counter. “What can I get started for you?”

“Uh...” 

Kyungsoo's mind was now a blank. He dared to peek over Jongin’s shoulder at the menu again, the word cinnamon sparking his memory. “Yeah. I’ll have a medium latte with almond milk with — “ Jongin made a face, but Kyungsoo could not tell what out of the corner of his eye. “Caramel and cinnamon.”

“Well, I can do everything but the almond milk,” Jongin said, scribbling everything down his order the side of a paper cup. “We have lactose-free, though. Or soy?”

“Lactose-free works.” Jongin wrote that down and passed it off to the pink-haired guy. “Anything else? Biscotti, maybe?” Kyungsoo shook his head, getting out his wallet. “Our muffins are baked in-house.” From the tone of his voice, Kyungsoo could tell without looking at him that Jongin was smiling.

“Uh, just the coffee today.”

“All right, your total is $10.43.” Kyungsoo’s eyes widened and his brow furrowed as he snapped his head up to look at Jongin, his mouth open in protest. The pink-haired guy sputtered, looking over at Jongin as well before glancing down at Kyungsoo. “Just kidding,” Jongin said, a silent laugh twinkling in his warm, brown eyes. With an amused huff, Kyungsoo looked away again, pulling out his card. “It’s $4.50.” He took and swiped Kyungsoo’s card, passing it back.

“Wendy!” the pink-haired guy called out, and a girl Kyungsoo thought he might have seen at school walked up to get her coffee.

“Have a nice day,” Jongin said as Kyungsoo dropped a couple of bills into the tip jar, walking over to where the other people were waiting for their coffee.

He pulled out his phone again and opened the first app his thumb found. He hoped it would distract him from staring at the most adorable human he had ever come into contact with. Unfortunately, it was the calculator app. He made random equations, getting a strange look from the guy to his left who left a moment later when "Yixing" was called out. Kyungsoo watched him leave before going back to playing with his calculator. 

After a couple of moments, the pink-haired guy let out a long sigh, and Kyungsoo looked up. “Medium latte, lactose-free with caramel and cinnamon?” He glanced over at Jongin as Kyungsoo approached the counter then turned to Kyungsoo with a smile — _Minseok_ , his name tag read. “Thanks, come again.”

Nodding, Kyungsoo took his coffee and headed for the door, daring to peek over his shoulder at Jongin one last time. Jongin looked away the second Kyungsoo glanced his way, busying himself with the register drawer. Kyungsoo then pushed open the door, the brisk autumn air biting the tip of his nose and his cheeks as he ran back to his car. Once inside, he took a sip of his coffee and put it in the cup holder before driving off. He looked back at Galaxy Brews in his rear view mirror, already deciding that it would be his go-to coffee shop, despite their lack of almond milk.

—

Jongin sighed, pushing the register closed after opening it for a third time in succession. Minseok cleared his throat and Jongin froze, looking over at his manager who was wiping down the espresso machine. “Next time, get a name. It’ll help both of us.”

His brow furrowing, Jongin opened the register door again. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh please,” said Jongdae from the drive-thru window. “Hello, yes, that’ll be $10 for a simple cup of coffee. Just kidding, I love you!”

“Shut up, Jongdae,” Jongin and Minseok said together. 

“But seriously,” Minseok said. “I don’t care how cute you thought he was, you’ve got to do your job.”

“Sorry, Minseok.”

“It’s fine,” he said, stepping away from Jongin as a group of women came in through the door to greet them. Jongdae was humming something and it took Jongin a second to pick up the tune — SHINee’s “Your Number”. Jongin glared at him and Jongdae started laughing, schooling his features before opening to window to deal with the next car.

Jongin plastered on a smile as the ladies stepped up to the counter. “What can I get started for you?”

* * * * *

Kyungsoo tapped his thumbs on his steering wheel as he leaned forward. Junmyeon locked the door to his apartment and bounded down the stairs. Sitting back, he unlocked the doors before Junmyeon reached the passenger's side. "Sorry I'm late. I overslept," he said, sliding into his seat and buckling up.

Kyungsoo glanced down at the clock on his dash, squinting. "It's 7:55." Junmyeon nodded apologetically. "I was supposed to be here at 8." Chuckling, Kyungsoo shifted into drive and crept forward through the parking lot. "Up for coffee?"

"Sure," Junmyeon said, shrugging. "My treat."

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. Whenever they hung out, Junmyeon would pay, no questions asked. But, he was doing a major favor for Kyungsoo by accompanying him to his cousin's wedding, so, just this once, he wanted to buy the coffee. Kyungsoo, however, knew not to argue about money, so he let it slide. 

At the exit from Junmyeon's apartment, Kyungsoo turned on his left blinker. "Not Starbucks?"

Kyungsoo shook his head, pulling out into the road. "New place." Galaxy Brews was about a five minute drive from Junmyeon's place. Today would be the fifteenth day in a row that he was there, and he wanted to make sure he could get his favorite coffee before he was out of town for the weekend. He did not _just_ want to go to the shop because he had a crush on the cashier — that was obviously not the case. 

Not at all.

He pulled into his spot in the parking lot moments later, turning the key and taking it out of the ignition. Kyungsoo took a cursory glance in his rear view mirror, checking his appearance as he unbuckled. The seatbelt smacked him in the face and dragged across his hair, mussing a couple of strands out of place. As he took a second to smooth them back, he heard Junmyeon clear his throat.

"You coming in, or are you gonna fix your hair all morning?" he asked, startling Kyungsoo. He looked over with wide eyes before opening his door and stepping outside. "Oh god," he said, laughing, "is that why you're always carrying around those space cups now?"

"Shut up," Kyungsoo mumbled, color heating his face as he slammed his door while Junmyeon closed his. He glanced behind his friend to see the OPEN sign switch on. The drive-thru guy grinned and waved before walking back into the shadowy depths of Galaxy Brews.

Junmyeon looked back, his eyebrow quirked. "Was that him?"

Sighing, Kyungsoo shook his head. "Just be cool, all right?" he asked, his tone slightly pleading as he walked around the car to join his friend. In the parking lot, several other car doors slammed shut and Kyungsoo glanced at the customers going inside.

"I honestly don't know if that's possible for me." Kyungsoo fixed him with a glare, his hand on the door. "But I'll give it my best shot."

Rubbing his nose, Kyungsoo started for the shop with Junmyeon by his side, wiping his hands on his jeans when they reached the door. Junmyeon opened the door, Kyungsoo nodding his thanks, and they stepped inside, the scent of freshly roasted coffee heavy in the air. Minseok stepped on his tiptoes, looking over the espresso machine, and gave him a quick wave. Kyungsoo smiled back and glanced at the open door to the storage room to catch a glimpse of Jongin as he walked past with a box in his hands.

"Do you come here every day?" Junmyeon asked as they stepped into the back of the line.

Kyungsoo was about to answer when he looked over the line to see Jongin step up to the register. He scanned the line, making eye contact with Kyungsoo, his smile shy as he looked away and at the first person in line. The corner of Kyungsoo's mouth twitched upwards in a smile and he glanced up at Junmyeon, who was grinning.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes." He leaned forward, giving Jongin a once-over before Kyungsoo smacked his arm. "I've never seen you have a crush on someone before, this is very interesting for me."

Kyungsoo groaned, rubbing his hands over her face. "Am I gonna have to make you wait in the car?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Junmyeon stepped back, his smile now smug. "I'll behave, Mom."

"And your name?" Jongin asked the girl in front of Kyungsoo and Junmyeon.

"Uh, Krystal."

He scribbled that down, glancing behind her at Kyungsoo for a split second and smiling. "Go ahead and wait over there," he said, passing the cup to Minseok. "I can help who's next," he said, his smile brightening as Kyungsoo and Junmyeon stepped up, dimming seconds later when Junmyeon slung his arm over Kyungsoo's shoulder.

"What should I get, Soo?" he asked. Minseok started coughing, the drive-thru guy glancing back at him. Minseok held up a cup and the drive-thru guy smirked as he turned back to assist the next customer.

Kyungsoo's blush deepened, and he stepped out of Junmyeon's hold. "Whatever you want. You're buying."

Jongin's eyes darted between he and Junmyeon, his smile waning to a simple customer smile. "Your usual, Kyungsoo?" He nodded and Jongin wrote down his order.

"Lactose-free?" Junmyeon said, looking down at Kyungsoo. "I thought you didn't like that." Kyungsoo shrugged, crossing his arms, and caught Jongin's eye. "What about almond milk?"

"We do have soy," Jongin said, his Sharpie poised to scratch out the lactose-free initials.

"My usual is fine, Jongin."

He passed the cup to Minseok with slight hesitation before looking over at Junmyeon. "And for you?"

"Just an Americano, iced. Please."

Nodding, Jongin grabbed a plastic cup and wrote down Junmyeon's order. "Your total is $7.75." Junmyeon whipped out his card, Jongin passing it back a moment later. "Thank you, you can wait for your order over there."

"Krystal!" Minseok called out, the girl coming up to get her coffee before going back to sit with her friends.

Kyungsoo glanced back at Jongin, who was leaning over to talk to Minseok. Minseok shook his head, setting Junmyeon's Americano down on the counter before finishing Kyungsoo's latte. He stepped over to the counter, picking the Americano up and carrying it over where the lids were, putting a shake of cinnamon on the surface of the latte before pressing on the lid. "What are you guys out doing today?"

Kyungsoo put two straws in his latte, taking an experimental sip. Perfect, as usual. "We're going to my cousin's wedding."

"Sounds like a fun way to spend your Saturday."

Kyungsoo shrugged, Junmyeon stepping forward to grab his Americano when Minseok set it down on the counter. "Yeah, his family loves me." Kyungsoo choked on his own saliva, daring to glimpse over at Jongin, who paled slightly.

"Th-thanks, Minseok," he stuttered, hurrying out the door, the door closing before Junmyeon caught up. It opened a second later, Junmyeon looking at Kyungsoo with a shit-eating grin as he took a sip of his Americano. "If that was you being cool . . . " he said as soon as the door closed, shaking his head as Junmyeon laughed.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," he said, giggling. Leaning his arm on the top of Kyungsoo's car, he watched him walk around to the driver's side. "He was cute though, for a guy. I totally see why you're into him." Kyungsoo contemplated locking the doors and driving off without him, but that meant that not only would he have to go to the wedding alone, but Junmyeon would also have to go back inside Galaxy Brews.

Sighing, Kyungsoo unlocked the doors. "Shut up and get in the car." Junmyeon almost choked on his drink, laughing. "I can never take you anywhere ever again."

—

"You're boyfriend's here!" Jongdae called out, Jongin freezing as he was putting away the box of paper cup lids. He peeked out from behind the wall, catching a glimpse of Kyungsoo as he was walking toward the store with another guy. Jongin ducked back behind the wall, shoving the box all the way to the wall. He could hear customers chatting amongst themselves as well as the door opening and closing.

Jongin sighed, closing his eyes as he pressed his forehead against the wall. He was not expecting his crush to come in this early. Usually, he came in around 10:30 in the morning. It gave Jongin time to prepare himself each morning to see the most adorable human on the planet. Picking up the nearest box, he moved past the opening and flicked his gaze over to see Kyungsoo joining the line. A smile flitted across his face, and he dropped the box on top of another stack before he headed out to face the customers.

He dared to peek at Kyungsoo as he stepped up to the register, smiling as he made contact with those beautiful wide brown eyes. Unable to stop himself, he sighed as he said "How can I help you" to the blur of a customer at the front of the line. They ordered a cappuccino, or . . . or something, and passed the cup onto Minseok, who read the instructions and started making the drink.

The line of customers passed like that, one right after the other, each of them taking what seemed like an eternity to decide what flavorings they should get in their god-awful beverage (who really likes coffee, like . . . really?). The girl just ahead of Kyungsoo stared at the menu for at least five minutes, asking Jongin simple questions about which flavorings go where. Eventually, she ended up getting a iced dirty chai.

"And your name?" he asked, looking up at her and resisting the urge to look back at Kyungsoo.

"Uh, Krystal."

Aaaand he failed, peeking up at him as he wrote down her name. The black and white-striped sweater he wore looked so soft, and he bet it smelled nice, too. Kyungsoo carded his fingers through his cinnamon-red hair, meeting Jongin's eyes just as he was looking away. "Go ahead and wait over there." He bounced on the balls of his feet while he waited for the girl to pick up her purse and her wallet and her card and get out of the fucking way. 

"I can help who's next." Kyungsoo and the guy next to him stepped up to the counter, Jongin grinning at Kyungsoo. A arm appeared over Kyungsoo's shoulder, and Jongin blinked, looking for the first time directly at the guy next to his crush.

A good-looking guy, he supposed. In any other circumstance, he might have appreciated his perfect hair or his kind, smiling eyes. But, at the moment, nothing in the world was more infuriating than the sight of his arm across Kyungsoo's shoulders. "What should I get, Soo?" he asked, his voice a sort of whine as he leaned his head on Kyungsoo's. Jongin popped his thumb's knuckle, taking a deep breath. Somewhere far, far behind him, he heard Minseok coughing.

Kyungsoo's cheeks colored, his eyes darting up to meet Jongin's before looking away, and he stepped away from the other guy. "Whatever you want. You're buying."

Jongin gritted his teeth, glancing between the two. "Your usual, Kyungsoo?" he asked, pulling one of the hot paper cups off the stack next to the register. He nodded, and Jongin started writing it down on the side.

"Lactose-free?" the other guy said, leaning just a hair too close to Kyungsoo. "I thought you didn't like that." Jongin stopped writing, looking over at Kyungsoo. "What about almond milk?"

"We do have soy." Jongin's Sharpie positioned over the LF he just penned.

"My usual is fine, Jongin."

His heart fluttered at the sound of Kyungsoo saying his name, and it took him a second to pass the cup off to a waiting Minseok. "And for you?"

"Just an Americano, iced. Please."

Jongin nodded, jotting down the simple order on a clear plastic cup before setting it down on the counter next to Minseok. "Your total is $7.75." He avoided Kyungsoo's gaze as he took the card from — he glanced down at the name written there — Kim Junmyeon, passing it back after he finished swiping it. "Thank you, you can wait for your order over there." He watched Kyungsoo walk away, waiting for Minseok to get back from talking to one of the customers. "You think that's his boyfriend?"

Minsoek poured the cream into Kyungsoo's latte, shrugging. "Not sure," he said, stepping away and setting them on the counter to finish up their drinks. "What are you guys up to today?"

Jongin tore his eyes away from them to direct his attention to the customers in front of him. He heard something about a wedding as he started to take their order. When he looked back over, Junmyeon was grabbing his Americano, saying, "Yeah, his family loves me." Jongin felt the color drain from his face, turning back to the register when Kyungsoo's eyes met his for a second. Kyungsoo muttered something to Minseok and they were out the door, the two talking for a second outside the door.

Minseok went over to the hand sink behind the drive thru, Jongin following him. "So?"

He shrugged, flipping the water on and pumping out some soap. "It's possible?"

"What is?" Jongdae asked, leaning his shoulder against the wall next to the sink.

"You saw the guy with Kyungsoo, right?" Jongdae nodded. "Boyfriend or nah."

Jongdae wrinkled up his nose. "Gut instinct says 'nah.'" But then he shrugged, looking over Jongin's shoulder at the register. "But I don't know, I only caught like a second of int — " he paused to snicker, his eyes snapping to Minseok who looked over Jongin, his small smile broadening as he turned back to dry off his hands. Jongdae cleared his throat, continuing. "Just a second of interaction between the two of them. Hey man," he said, patting Jongin's shoulder. "You've got a customer."

It was one of the customer's from earlier, the one who had been right in front of Kyungsoo. Her name started with a K, he thought. Jongin approached the counter with a smile, looking down at her coffee cup. "Was there something wrong with your coffee, miss?"

She smirked, twisting the cup around to see that instead of her name, Jongin had written down his cell phone number. His face flushed scarlet, he could feel it, and he heard Jongdae cracking up behind him as well as a quiet "Shut up, Jongdae" from Minseok.

"Look, I'm flattered, and you're adorable. Really." She picked up her coffee to take a sip. "But I'm already in a relationship."

He sputtered something he hoped sounded like "That's all right." He did not have the heart to tell her that his number was not meant for her. Jongin had already been planning to write his number on Kyungsoo's cup, but he had been so flustered he had forgotten.

"You are really cute, though."

"Thank, uh, thank you."

With a wink, she walked away, her coffee in hand, and Jongin swung around to look at Minseok and Jongdae, who were now doubled over in laughter. "Oh god, you should have seen your face," Jongdae said between giggles, and Jongin smacked his shoulder before starting to laugh himself.

"Hey, Minseok," he said once they all stopped giggling, Minseok rubbing his eyes before looking Jongin's way. "Do you think we would be able to stock almond milk?" Minseok smiled with a sigh. Eventually, he shrugged, and Jongin said, "I'd be willing to buy it."

Minseok patted his back, saying, "I'll ask Kris" over his shoulder as he went over to the counter where a customer stood waiting for a straw.

* * * * *

Kyungsoo closed his eyes, his head throbbing under the fluorescent lighting in his college classroom. The edges of his vision shimmered with every blink and he massaged his temples with the heels of his palms in the hopes that it would alleviate the ache.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

It had been a week since he had had coffee, which he thought might be contributing to his oncoming migraine. Junmyeon and he had returned from the wedding the night after the embarrassing fiasco of bringing Junmyeon along to Galaxy Brews, and Kyungsoo had not had the confidence to go back and face Jongin.

Which was entirely stupid, he knew.

The teacher stood before them all, droning on and on about calculus. At the moment, Kyungsoo could not care less. His head hurt too much to care much about anything other than making his headache stop. Someone elbowed him in the ribs, Kyungsoo looking over to see his classmate Oh Sehun hold up a bottle of aspirin. Kyungsoo held out his hand, Sehun dumping a couple of little white pills unto his hand before digging into his backpack for a half-drunk water bottle.

“I get headaches, too,” he whispered when Kyungsoo passed back the water bottle. “Caffeine usually helps me.” Nodding, Kyungsoo, lowered his eyes and tried to block out as much of the horrendous light as possible. “I usually see you with a coffee cup, so maybe you’re just going through withdrawals.”

“That’s possible,” Kyungsoo said, tapping his phone screen to check the time. Five more minutes and he would have a free hour between classes.

Sehun got out his phone as well, opening up Instagram and scrolling through his feed for the rest of class. Kyungsoo started packing his books when there was about a minute left, sliding to the edge of his seat and waiting for the inevitable bored “Dismissed” from his teacher. When it finally came, Kyungsoo was up from his seat and out the door, a quick “Thank you” thrown over his shoulder at Sehun as he hurried to his car. There was a coffee shop in the cafeteria on the other side of the campus, and Kyungsoo started for it.

When he parked his car, he looked up to see the very familiar sign for Galaxy Brews. “Godammit,” he muttered, balling his hand into a fist around his keys. "Stupid autopilot." 

He rested his forehead on the steering wheel, turning to look at the shop. He could not see inside very well, but there were enough cars parked outside to indicate that they were busy. Maybe he would be able to slip in and out without Jongin noticing? Or maybe Jongin was not even working today? That a distinct possibility everyday he came in, but Kyungsoo highly doubted that would be the case today.

He pushed up the sleeves of his light yellow and gray striped sweater and got out of his car. Sighing, he walked up to the door and stepped inside. He froze at the door when he saw that there was no one in line and the three usual employees were gathered around the espresso machine. They all looked up when the door closed behind him. The drive thru guy broke away from the group, coming around to the pick-up counter.

“Morning, Kyungsoo.”

“Shut up, Jongdae,” Jongin said through gritted teeth, smiling brightly when Kyungsoo’s gaze slid to him. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo said, distracted a little by the way Jongin combed his fingers through his silver-blond hair. “Yeah.”

“Your usual?” Minseok asked, grabbing a paper cup when Kyungsoo nodded.

“You haven’t been cheating on us, have you?” Jongdae asked, winking at Kyungsoo as he moved to the register. Jongin followed on the other side of the counter -- to punch Kyungsoo’s order into the POS system. “Did you find a coffee shop you like better than us? I, for one, am hurt. How about you, Jongin?”

Kyungsoo glanced up at Jongin, whose face was crimson as he swiped his card. “Well, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” he said, his fingers accidentally brushing against Jongin’s as he took back his card. He cleared his throat, fumbling with his card as he tried to slip it back into his wallet. He scratched the nape of his neck, glancing Minseok’s way as he finished up his latte.

Jongdae and Jongin flanked Minseok as he passed Kyungsoo his drink, Jongdae grinning broadly while Jongin leaned his elbows on the counter, fiddling with the upper curve of his ear as he stared at Kyungsoo’s latte cup. Kyungsoo thought he might be trying to avoid looking at him, not that he blamed him, of course, but —

“Promise us you’ll come back tomorrow,” Jongdae said, Minseok agreeing with a quick nod. He leaned in, covering the side of his mouth with his hand. Kyungsoo leaned in as well, grinning. “Don't tell the others, but you’re our favorite.”

Kyungsoo chuckled. “All right. All right, I promise.”

“Make it official,” Jongdae said, holding out his pinky. Kyungsoo locked their pinkies, pressing their thumbs together to seal the promise.

“All of us,” Minseok said, holding out his hand. They pinky swore as well, Jongin holding out his hand when Kyungsoo looked up at him. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as their thumbs brushed together.

“This is more binding than I blood oath,” Jongdae said, pointing at him as he backed away toward the door. “A blood oath!”

Laughing, Kyungsoo waved goodbye and stepped outside, glancing back to see Minseok and Jongin slap Jongdae. He grabbed the two thin straws between his fingers as he started for his car, stirring his latte as he took a sip. He stopped mid-stride, swallowing the coffee in his mouth as he pulled the cup away. He took another experimental sip, smacking his lips a little. 

Something was . . . different. A good different, but still . . . different. 

He looked back over his shoulder, seeing the three silhouettes of the Galaxy Brews employees watching him. Confused, Kyungsoo took another sip before heading back inside the shop and up to the pick-up counter.

He set his coffee down, tapping it toward the other three. “What’s changed?”

“Do you like it?” Minseok asked, his eyebrow quirking up. Jongin gulped, watching Kyungsoo for his reaction.

“I mean, yeah. I didn’t think it could get better than it was.” He emphasized his point with another sip. “But this tastes so good.” Jongin mumbled something and Kyungsoo looked at him. “What changed?”

Minseok stepped away from the counter, grabbing Jongdae by the shirt and pulling him back toward the drive thru. “I-we, uh, we got you almond milk.”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo said, feeling his eyes go wide for a second. “Well, thank you.” Jongin’s eyes crinkled up at the corners when he smiled, and Kyungsoo swore his heart stopped beating for a second. “A-a-anyways," he stammered, picking up his latte, "I've got to get back to class. See you . . . you guys tomorrow.”

Minseok waved behind Jongin as Kyungsoo stepped away, taking one last look at his crush before stepping outside.

—

"Prius alert," Minseok said, walking past the storage room just as soon as Jongin started taking a drink of his honeyed green tea, which he then almost choked on. He almost threw his mug across the room, bolting to the open arch that lead into the actual store. Two guys walked in, one significantly taller than the other, and Jongin tried to look behind them. Jongdae caught his eye, shaking his head.

Another false alarm.

Jongin let out a long sigh, putting on a smile as he stepped up to the register. The taller guy stood a pace or two away from the counter, tapping his iPhone on his chin as he squinted up at the menu over Jongin's head. The shorter guy looked up at him, rolling his eyes as he stepped up to the counter. "Yeah, I'll take a mocha cappuccino with two extra shots of espresso. I'm with him," he said, pointing back to the taller guy. "Happy Virus here takes forever to decide."

"Hey," Happy Virus said, pouting when the shorter guy turned back to him. "Only your mom is allowed to call me that."

"Whatever, babe," the shorter guy said, patting Happy Virus' ass as he passed. The tall guy flushed a bright pink and glanced over at Jongin with a sheepish smile. "I'm gonna go save us a seat at the lounge."

The taller guy watched his boyfriend leave, clearing his throat as he stepped up to the counter. "I'll have whatever he's having."

"All right," Jongin said, writing the order down on the cup. "And your name?"

"Chanyeol and Baekhyun."

Jongin had started writing, his Sharpie squeaking against the paper when he stopped. "I just need one name."

"Oh, okay. Chanyeol then." Jongin continued writing, sliding the cup over to Minseok when he finished. He slid his card toward Jongin, who started ringing him in, and looked up and around at the decor. "So...what's with all the stars?"

Jongin shrugged, sliding the card before handing it back with his receipt. "The owner is obsessed with galaxies."

"That's it?" Jongin nodded. "Huh. It's nice." 

With that, Chanyeol stepped away from the counter and over to his boyfriend. Baekhyun, apparently, scooted over in the oversized armchair so Chanyeol could sit right next to him. He did, throwing his arm over Baekhyun's shoulder and kissing his temple. Jongin realized then how long he had been watching them, probably a dumb smile plastered across his face, so he blinked and looked away.

Jongdae was standing beside Jongin, which startled him once he noticed. He started shaking his head and clicking his tongue. "Dude . . . "

"What, they looked happy!" He lowered his voice, both he and Jongdae watching one of the customers walk past them to the bathroom. "I'm happy for them."

"Yeah, but . . . there's being happy for someone, and then there's...whatever that was."

"Leave him alone, Dae," Minseok said, taking the cappuccinos over to put lids on them. "Chanyeol!" It was Baekhyun who got up to get their coffees. He thanked Minseok as he took the drinks back to the lounge. Minseok started wiping down the espresso machine, cleaning off the remnants of the cappuccinos. "Jongin, come here."

Both he and Jongdae walked over, looking at Minseok expectantly.

"You've got a crush on Kyungsoo, right?" Jongin started to shrug, and Minseok rolled his eyes. "I'm stating a fact. No need to get embarrassed."

"I'm not," he said, color starting to heat his cheeks.

"Uh-huh. So, if he ever comes in again, you should tell him."

"But — "

Minseok shook his head, cutting Jongin's protest off. "I think he's got a crush on you, too. You're both just too shy to do anything about it. You just need to be brave for like two seconds and tell him." He glanced over the espresso machine and out the window, looking back up at Jongin. He then stuck out his hand, his pinky extended. "Promise?"

Jongin pursed his lips, hesitating for a second before completing the pinky swear. "I promise."

"Okay, good." He rubbed his nose in what appeared to be an attempt to cover his smile, going back to cleaning the machine. "Because he just pulled up."

Jongdae let out a cackle, some of the customers looking up at the sudden commotion. Jongin's palms started to sweat as he looked up, and, sure enough, Kyungsoo was walking across the parking lot. His heart thudded in his chest and he glanced over at Minseok, who patted his arm. "Good luck."

"Be cool, be cool," Jongdae whispered, all three looking down when Kyungsoo reached for the door handle. They waited for the door to close to look back up, and Jongdae stepped over to the pick-up counter. "Morning, Kyungsoo," he said, with absolutely no chill whatsoever.

Jongin had never felt a stronger desire to facepalm in his life, but somehow he resisted the urge. He wanted to say "Shut up, Jongdae" — and he might of, in fact — but when Kyungsoo looked up at him, he could not help but smile. "It's been a while," he said after a second of his mind scrambling with what he should even say. He dragged his fingers through his hair, trying to think of what he should say next.

"Yeah," Kyungsoo mumbled. Twice.

Thankfully, Minseok spoke up, saving him momentarily. "Your usual?" He started working on the latte when Kyungsoo nodded, bending down to grab the carton of almond milk Jongin had bought the day after that other guy came in with Kyungsoo.

_For Kyungsoo_ , Jongin had written down on the carton, with a smiley face.

Kyungsoo started over to the register as Jongdae said, "You haven't been cheating on us, have you?" Jongin threw him a glare before following a step or two behind Kyungsoo. "Did you find a coffee shop you like better than us?" Kyungsoo scoffed and handed Jongin his card. "I, for one, am hurt. How about you, Jongin?"

He could feel Kyungsoo's eyes on him, but he could not bear to look up. Two seconds of courage? Bullshit. What would be better is two seconds of Jongdae shutting the fuck up, but it looked like that would never happen either.

"Well, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings," he said, his thumb grazing Jongin's hand.

His heart thudded in his ears as Kyungsoo stepped away from the register and back over to the pick-up counter. Minseok was fitting his lid and grabbing the straws, Jongin and Jongdae standing on either side of him as he slid Kyungsoo his latte. He tried looking at him for a second, but it was like looking into the sun. His eyes sparkled in the "constellations" and his smile was too bright for Jongin to handle at the moment so he focused instead on the coffee cup.

"Promise us you'll come back tomorrow," Jongdae said. Jongin glanced up to see Minseok nod and Jongdae leaned over the counter, covering the side of his mouth with his hand. "Don't tell the others," he said in a stage whisper, "but you're our favorite."

Kyungsoo chuckled as he leaned back, turning his cup in circles. "All right. All right, I promise."

Jongin's eyes widened a little, and he dared to glance over at Jongdae, inwardly groaning when he saw it — the spark of an idea. He stuck out his hand, much like Minseok had done moments before with Jongin, and said, "Make it official."

Minseok followed suit, something of a mischievous grin on his face. "All of us." Jongin, reluctantly held out his hand, pressing his and Kyungsoo's thumbs together, gulping when he unlocked their pinkies.

"This is more binding than a blood oath," Jongdae said, grinning as Kyungsoo started to walk away. Minseok elbowed him in the ribs, Jongin wincing and looking over as he rubbed his side. "A blood oath!" Kyungsoo laughed, waving goodbye as he stepped outside.

"You promised," Minseok whispered.

"I know, I know," Jongin stood still, watching Kyungsoo take a sip from his latte as he walked back to his car. "Do you think he'll notice the — " He stopped talking when Kyungsoo paused mid-way across the parking lot.

"Go talk to him," Minseok said, each word punctuated by a push toward the way out behind the counter.

Jongdae held up his pinky, wearing an uncharacteristically solemn expression. "A blood oath, Jongin."

He let out a long sigh, looking back at Kyungsoo. "Fin — wait, he's coming back." The three of them leaned on the counter, watching him take another sip as he came back inside. He licked his lips, setting the coffee down and pushing it toward them with small taps.

"What changed?" he asked, his eyebrow raising in amusement. Well, if that's not the cutest thing Jongin's ever seen then —

Minseok leaned forward a little. "Do you like it?" Jongin felt his mouth go dry, and he looked down at Kyungsoo, hoping with everything within him that Kyungsoo did like it.

"I mean, yeah. I didn't think it could get better than it was," he said, taking another sip. "But this tastes so good."

"Thank goodness," Jongin thought, though he might of said it or something out loud based on the look Kyungsoo gave him.

"What changed?"

Minseok nudged him, leaning away from the counter and taking Jongdae with him. "I-we, uh," Jongin started to say, getting lost in Kyungsoo's curious gaze for a second before he found his words. "We got you almond milk."

Kyungsoo let out a simple _oh_ , his eyes widening. "Well, thank you." Jongin grinned, and Kyungsoo's lips parted as he looked down at his cup. "A-a-anyways," he said, grabbing it off the counter, "I've got to get back to class. See you — " he paused for a half a second, looking up at Jongin before glancing over his shoulder at the other two. " — you guys tomorrow."

Jongin watched him walk outside, his gaze trailing back to the armchair that Baekhyun and Chanyeol sat, or rather, cuddled in. Baekhyun's head rested on Chanyeol's shoulder, the two of them looking at something on Chanyeol's phone. Baekhyun laughed at whatever they were looking at, Chanyeol's smile softening as he glanced down at the top of Baekhyun's head, kissing him there. Baekhyun closed his eyes, and Jongin looked away, his eyes snapping to Kyungsoo who was now half-way to his car.

Something stirred within him — courage? possibly — and he headed around the counter and to the front door. Off in the distance, he heard Jongdae let out a whoop while Minseok laughed, but he ignored them, pushing open the door before his courage dissolved.

"Kyungsoo!" he said, walking across the parking lot toward Kyungsoo's car. He peeked over the top of his Prius, his brow furrowing.

"Did I forget something?"

Jongin shook his head. Two seconds, that's all. He took a deep breath. "I like you," he said, though he was afraid it came out sounding like one long word.

Kyungsoo closed his car door, walking around to the back of his car. "Like, you have a crush on me?" Jongin nodded, trying not to focus on his now erratic heartbeat. He leaned against the back of his car and looked behind Jongin at the coffee shop, a small smile curving the corner of his mouth up.

"You know, I usually don't go out for coffee. That is usually a special treat that I get like once or twice a month, or if Junmyeon is buying," he added with a laugh. Jongin squinted at Kyungsoo, a little confused. "About three weeks ago, I would wake up and have my morning coffee at home. But one day, I woke up late, and I drove to your store on a whim to get my coffee and go." Jongin held his breath, waiting for Kyungsoo to go on. "I haven't made myself a cup of coffee since then."

Jongin's eyebrows raised as he smiled. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

Jongin shuffled over to Kyungsoo's Prius, leaning against the side. Kyungsoo turned to face him. "Our coffee is just that good, huh?"

Kyungsoo snorted, rubbing his nose as his cheeks started flushing. "Yeah, something like that."

"Well good," he said, slipping his phone out of his back pocket and opening up his contacts app for a second before closing it and turning his screen off. "I should let you go, then," he said, stepping away from the Prius. Kyungsoo frowned and Jongin froze, cocking his head to the side. "Don't you have to get to class?"

—

Class? Class! Who gives a fuck about class? The rational part of Kyungsoo's mind started to kick in, and he eventually nodded. Jongin's smile faltered a little, and he stepped further away from his car. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Wait, um," Kyungsoo got out his phone as Jongin turned back towards him. "Are you free tonight?" he asked, tapping on his screen and hitting "New Contact" before passing the phone over to Jongin. He inspected the screen and got out his own phone to do the same.

"I am, actually," he said, typing his information into Kyungsoo's phone. "I don't usually make plans." Kyungsoo had accidentally exited out of the app when he finished putting in his name and number and was now looking at Jongin's background picture, which was three tiny dogs sleeping all curled up together on a couch.

Smiling, Kyungsoo passed Jongin his phone and took his own phone back. "Well, just text me when you're off, and if you're up to it, we can go do . . . something."

Jongin flipped his phone over in his hand, glancing over his shoulder at Galaxy Brews. "Will do. I'll see you tonight."

"Okay," Kyungsoo said, giving him a half-wave as Jongin turned around and headed toward the door. About three seconds later, Kyungsoo received a text. He opened his screen, smirking when he saw it was from Jongin.

**Jongin ;)**

**12:17 pm // You want to know a secret?**

_12:17 pm // Sure_

Kyungsoo looked up at Jongin who was now standing in front of the door to the store, his hand on the handle.

**Jongin ;)**

**12:18 pm // I really really hate coffee**

**12:18 pm // Like really**

Kyungsoo laughed out loud, looking up at Jongin who waved at him from inside before turning around and disappearing into the shadows of the coffee shop.

He started to type, erasing it as he walked around his car and got inside. Once he started the car, he opened his phone. 

_12:19 pm // I can't wait to see you later_

He hit Send before he could second guess himself. Placing his phone on the seat next to him, he drove off, hurrying back to the college before he was late for his next class. The LED light on his phone blinked blue by the time he parted on campus, an indication that he had a text. With butterflies in his stomach, Kyungsoo opened his phone to see the text from Jongin.

**Jongin ;)**

**12:20 pm // Same here :)**

Kyungsoo did not stop smiling for the rest of the day.


End file.
